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What is the cause of the forklift overturned? How to make things safer?

The overturned forklift was the focus of the first forklift safety day in the UK. And there are good reasons.

According to data from the European Agency for Work Safety and Health (OSHA), tipping accidents are the single largest cause of death for forklift operators (42%).

In almost all cases, the driver was "ratched" between the truck's overhead guard and the ground, causing serious injuries to the head and upper body. Stewart Gosling of Red Diamond Distribution (RDD)-the UK dealer of Mitsubishi forklifts-lists the reasons and what you can do to prevent this from happening to the operator.

Fact: It takes about one second from the moment the truck starts to tilt... to the moment the overhead guard crushes the operator.

As the tipping event happened, the operator felt that everything happened very slowly-it was obvious to jump out. For them, the leap to safety is short, but the escape route is large. But in reality, the situation is quite different. Within a few seconds, the overhead shield quickly accelerates, always staying away from the operator. This greatly increases the distance required to jump while greatly shortening the time to success.

So far, the best practice is to let the operator sit safely in his or her seat. They are likely to suffer bruises, and few others. However, the human brain seems to be born with the ability to fly, and no amount of training, experience or knowledge can stop the urge to escape.

Fortunately, one of the world's leading forklift manufacturers has developed a new, seemingly simple technology to ensure that the operator stays in place safely: a "no cheating" seat belt/restraint.

But more is later. Let's first look at what measures can be taken to prevent tipping in the first place... and then continue to take measures to protect the operator in the event of a tipping accident.

Take these measures...Prevention begins with a risk assessment of your site, load, equipment, etc., and create a safe working system to eliminate hazards or minimize the risks associated with them.

Many of these problems can be solved by removing, remodeling or reversing. These routes require the truck to drive downhill (especially when fully loaded), eliminate uneven surfaces and keep the ground in good condition (so no potholes or debris) . It is also worth discussing with your forklift supplier how to use speed limiters, load sensors, etc. to make the truck inherently safer.

However, equally important is proper continuous training, covering three basic elements: basic, specific job (laid-off) and familiarity (on-the-job).

Moreover, when we discussed the training topic, it did not end with an operator. HSE requires that if you supervise material handling operations, you must receive the necessary training and knowledge to identify what good (and bad) practices look like. The good news is that courses in managing forklift operations are now available online to minimize time off site.

Major manufacturers strive to make equipment safer, and this is where Mitsubishi forklifts have proven their pioneers. Among the award-winning technologies developed to protect operators (and loads), the company introduced:

The most advanced software prevents tipping by seamlessly adjusting the speed of the truck when it enters a turn, taking into account the steering angle and load. The result is to reduce the risk of tipping, reduce load shedding and increase productivity when the maneuver is completed at the optimal speed.

So far, intuitive processing learned from driver input has been the domain of high-end electric vehicles. No more... Mitsubishi forklifts analyze the driving style of the operator and automatically adjust the operating characteristics to ensure a smooth, safe and personalized performance to achieve perfect output.

Since driving with the mast raised is the biggest cause of a truck tipping event, Mitsubishi forklifts have adopted an automatic driving deceleration function, in which the mast is raised above the first level.

But, in the final analysis, the biggest game changer is the humble seat belt/knee restraint.

Wearing one at all times is the simplest and most effective way to avoid serious injury in a tipping accident. This is the law. HSE made it clear that it will "prosecute site operators who have not taken adequate measures to force seat belts."

"The preference of the operator and the frequency of getting in and out of the truck cannot be used as a reason for not using restraints." British Industrial Truck Association (BITA) 

The challenge is to get operators to comply.

Even when the management is vigilant and reminds them constantly, operators often avoid wearing seat belts (even with interlocking devices) and deceive the machine by fixing the seat belts permanently to them. What should I do then?

"Don't cheat" seat belts

The good news is that Mitsubishi Forklift has introduced a "no cheating" seat belt on its latest electric counterbalanced truck. This switchable feature allows the employer-at his or her judgment-to choose an option to ensure that a seat belt must be worn.

To enable a truck to drive a forklift, four steps must be followed:

Then you can drive the truck normally. However, if the sequence has not been completed or the operator attempts to bypass it, the machine will not be able to run.

Sometimes simple things can have the greatest impact.

Since employees traveling by car are more likely to be killed at work than deep-sea divers or coal miners, driver safety is a vital business consideration.

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